


My Toy

by DarknessArises



Category: Creepypasta - Fandom
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood Kink, Blood and Violence, Brainwashing, F/M, Kidnapping, Knifeplay, Not Canon Compliant, Rape/Non-con Elements, Sexual Violence, Stockholm Syndrome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-10
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2019-10-07 18:02:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17370767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarknessArises/pseuds/DarknessArises
Summary: Diana- little miss perfect. Never misses a day of school, always dresses her best, prayer every night, Church every Sunday.  That is until the man with the carved smile showed up. He's determined to break her, she's determined to survive.  And it all starts when Diana walks through her Church doors that fateful Sunday morning.





	1. Introduction

"Who was the first of them you encountered?" The women asked me.

"Jeff," I whisper. My gaze never leaves my hands, which sit atop the wooden table.

"Jeff as in Jeffrey Woods?" She inquires.

"That's what I've been told his full name is," I respond.

"And he never told you his full name himself?"

"No, he didn't," I explain.

"And you never asked?" She questions.

I squint at her and shake my head slightly. _What a dumb question_ , I think to myself. "One time one of Jeff's... friends, I guess, called him Jeffrey during an argument. Jeff got very mad.. It didn't end very well for him. After seeing that, I figured asking things like that wouldn't be a good idea."

"I see," The women says and writes something down in her notebook, "Well, I want you to start from the very start of the day you first encountered Jeffrey Woods."

"Alright," I mumble. I shift around in my seat while I recall the first day he made himself known to me. It was a long while ago, but it's difficult to forget something that changed everything.

I take a deep breath, then say, "It was a Sunday, and I was getting ready for church.."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Thanks for giving my story a chance. This is my first time publishing anything on this site, so please be patient while I figure out how this all works.


	2. A Sign From God

I sat on my bed, gazing affectionately at my reflection in the mirror across my room. Bit by bit I smoothed out my hair with the large brush, counting every single stroke until I've hit the perfect number (fifteen) on each section to make my hair just how it should be. Once I'm done, I smile with satisfaction at my appearance.

"Diana!" My mother called out from downstairs, "Five-minute warning!"

I stood up and walked over to the mirror, adjusting my hair and outfit till it's perfect. My dress, simple and cute, falls down to my knees in perfect form. The top of it is a pure sky blue, which is definitely my color, and the bottom half had a white base with a blue floral design. Momma always said good God loving girls dressed modestly, but we also always dressed our absolutely best- especially on Sunday.

Once I was happy with my appearance, I moved downstairs to meet up with the rest of my family. My father and my older brother both wore their nicest clothes, just like my mother. My father wore a black suit with a matching tie. My brother wore a simple white button-down with a black tie and his black slacks. And my mother- oh my mother, she always dressed so elegantly. She wore her favorite blue outfit to church. It was made of silk, the skirt ran down her calves, the top half was suit-like with beautiful silver buttons. She wore a beautiful blue hat to match, and always painted her nails blue as well. Momma was always so beautiful.

"There's my beautiful darling daughter," My mother said to me in her sweetest tone. I smiled wide, knowing she was as satisfied with my appearance as I was.

Father took a final sip of his coffee before gently setting the cup down in the kitchen sink. Everyone else had already had breakfast without me, I could tell by the dirty dishes in the sink. I didn't care as I usually skip breakfast, or at most have a fruit smoothie. A habit I picked up from my mother.

The four of us piled into the car, father in the driver's seat and mother in the passenger, and left for church. The drive wasn't long, but it sure did feel like it was that day. I could feel it, the apprehension, around me. Like the air had somehow gotten thicker. But at the time, I wasn't sure why it felt that way.

We are one of the first families to arrive. Family number four to be exact. There were the Johnson's, all four of those little rascals of theirs were running around playing tag. There was Mr. and Mrs. Myers, recently married and expecting their first child. And then there was Mrs. Davidson and her grandson, Lewis.

Lewis and I were the first ones to walk into the church, and the first ones to see what had happened. We were close, especially after his parents passed. We always would sit and chat for a while before church started. That day, we went in early because Lewis wanted to ask Father Manning something- he wouldn't tell me what that was though.

We walked through the entrance area and to where service was held.

There was Father Manning, pinned to the back wall.

His clothes were crimson. There was so much blood, it had dripped down the stairs towards the pews. I couldn't take my eyes off the blade, the handle sticking out between his eyes. His eyes, they were still open. And they were filled with blood.

I screamed.

It's all I could think to do.

I screamed and Lewis stepped between the gruesome scene and me, attempting to block my vision. He grabbed me and shoved me towards the exit. As he ushered me away, the parents ran in. There were more screams, and not just mine now.

My older brother stepped in, grabbed and pulled me out of the building. Everyone followed behind us. Mr. Johnson was on the phone with the police by the time we exited the building.

The second my feet touched solid ground, the realization of how horrible it smelled in there hit me. I leaned over and threw up into the grass. My throat burned, tears ran down my face. I wondered how I hadn't noticed the smell sooner. How I hadn't realized something was wrong before I saw Father Manning.

After a few empty heaves, thanks to my body still trying to vomit despite there being nothing left in my stomach for it to rid itself of, I stared at the pile of stomach acid mixed with water. All liquid, I think that made it hurt more. I've vomited before with a stomach full of food and it did burn so much.

I kept staring at my own pile of vomit. Of course, even though that was what I was looking at, it wasn't what I was seeing. I couldn't remove the image of Father Manning. It's like he had stained onto the back of my eyes. That alone made me feel like I could start throwing up all over again if there was anything in my stomach.

It didn't take long for the police to arrive, at least it didn't feel like it did, and when they pulled up I finally looked up from the ground. There were five cars already and two ambulances. I could hear more of each on their way. Three of the cops ran inside together with their guns out. Three more, also with their guns drawn, ran around the outside of our little church for some reason. I figured they were checking to see if the murderer was still inside or nearby. A whole new wave of fear struck me when I realized the killer could've still been inside this whole time and could have attacked us at any point.

The paramedics came to us first, checking to make sure none of us were injured. As they were checking us over, with some officers next to us starting to get our stories, I hear something come through their communications radios on their shoulders. I couldn't make out the words myself, but the panic in their eyes told enough. Some of the paramedics grabbed some supplies and ran inside.

That's when it hit me.

There was no way Father Manning was the only one inside. He wasn't the only one who lead this church. There were three others who helped run everything, and they were always here helping get everything ready for service.

I sat in silence, wondering if anyone survived, until one of the officers came up to me. It was Mr. Wheeler, I knew him well enough. He helped out with a lot of the things in our community, was almost always at any charity event.

"Hey Diana," Mr. Wheeler, said to me. "I understand you and Lewis were the first to see what happened?"

I nodded my head and frowned deeply.

"For that reason, we're gonna want an official statement from you," He tells me. I took a deep breath. My mind flashed to the gruesome scene inside, making tears fall down my face.

"I'll tell you whatever you wanna know," I told him, my voice shaky and weak.

"Okay, I want to tell me what you saw inside," Officer Wheeler instructed me.

I took another deep and shaky breath, then told him exactly what I had seen. Recalling it all felt as horrible as seeing it. I had to stop more than once to keep myself from throwing up again- it's like my body was trying purge itself of the site through emptying my stomach. I didn't bother to describe Father Manning to him, mostly because my mouth could not form the words, and instead just simply said I saw him, screamed, then was carried out by my big brother.

The paramedics eventually ran out with someone on their stretcher. I realized it was Mrs. Marsh. She was a sweet, but wise, old women, with soft features and a soft voice. Her dress was covered in red, I couldn't tell where the bleeding may have been coming from. There was just too much blood for me to tell without getting a closer look.

I could tell I wasn't the only one holding themselves back from rushing over. Mrs. Marsh was nothing but kind to everyone, there wasn't a mean bone in her body. To see someone had hurt her in any way almost sparked a rage in me.

"She's stable," One of the officers tells us, "they are taking her to the ER right now. Sadly, that's all I can say at this moment."

"What about her husband?" I asked, holding back my tears. I knew he would have been inside too, helping get ready.

The officer just shook his head, the sadness in his eyes spoke a million words.

Not long after they told us we could all head home, but not before assuring us to call if we saw anything suspicious.

The car ride was dead silence. Still air, not a sound other than the car's engine dared to make its existence known. Father drove, mother stared at her lap, my brother dared not take his eyes away from the window. He watched closely, like he was looking for something. The killer? God? A bird maybe?... or any animal really? I noticed there wasn't any either- it felt unholy outside. I prayed silently to make it home safely, where I could be inside a building more holy than the now tainted grounds of what was once our church.

When we got home, I trudged my way to the bathroom to take a shower. I said nothing to anyone as I collected all my after shower skincare item, along with a soft bathrobe. I felt like I had gone into autopilot, just doing all my routines like normal despite nothing about today being right.

\---

I didn't leave my room for the rest of that day. I laid in bed, I listened to music, I read the bible, I reorganized my room- I did anything I could to distract myself without leaving the safety of my small space. No one, not even mother, questioned this decision. I could actually hear here downstairs, playing the music she always plays while she cleans, so I believe we had the same idea for the day.

When the sun had finally set and it was time for me to sleep, I kneeled at the side of my bed. I place my elbows on the mattress and lower my head to talk to God.

"Thank you for keeping my family and me safe," I whisper. I sat in silence for a moment while those words hang in the air, thinking of what to say next. Eventually, I landed on, "I feel you're testing my faith, Lord, and I promise my faith will not waiver. But please, give me a sign that you're listening."

Without knowing what else to say, I crawl into bed and tuck myself in. I'm unable to fall asleep though and instead find myself staring at the ceiling. 


	3. Just The Wind

I hoped I'd eventually fall asleep, but the sweet peace never seemed to reach me. I never seemed to get tired- not even a little bit. I stared up at the ceiling, though I couldn't actually see it in the darkness. There was no moonlight tonight, the sky remained engulfed in dark storm clouds. Through in the darkness, I could see one thing.

Father Manning.

I still couldn't shake the sight from my head, he truly had stained my vision. His eyes, they were haunting. The way they were filled with blood, almost like he had been crying red. He stared at me, and yet it was like he was staring right past me at the same time. I swear I could still see the fear in his eyes.

I shake those thoughts from my head, for easily the millionth time today. It wasn't very useful, it was still there in my mind. It wouldn't go away, and I'm sure it won't for a long time.

In the silence, I suddenly heard the soft sound of wind blowing. It seemed to start out of nowhere, no build up what so ever. And then it stops, just as suddenly as it started.  _Odd_ , I thought to myself. A hint of paranoia washed over me, making me think that the sound was something more. But I knew it was only an odd gush of wind. It was a very cloudy day, maybe a storm was just getting started.

With that, I could no longer handle just laying here. I had to get up and do something. I sit up and grab my phone from my nightstand, using it for light to guide me to the light switch for my room. Right as the light filled my room, a quiet groan sound catches my attention. I freeze in place and my eyes widen. The sound was far too human, and instantly a million scared thoughts ran through my mind.

My heart began to race and my breathing becomes heavy. I convinced myself that someone was standing in my room, right behind me. They would be holding a knife, just like the one they stuck between Father Manning's eyes, and I would see the devil in their eyes if I dared to look.

My eyes moved down to the door handle, and it finally occurred to me that I'm standing right in front of an exit.  _Idiot,_  I tell myself,  _you're such an idiot._  My light switch is right next to the door, I can run. Why am I still standing here?

Without another thought, I flung the door open and sped out of my room. I hear the door slam against the wall thanks to how hard I had tossed it open. As I ran, I didn't hear anyone follow me. But I still ran, now reaching the stairs. I made it half way down when I finally heard another set of footsteps. They pounded towards me, running towards the stairs. A whole new wave of panic hit as I realized just how real the threat was, and so I picked up my pace.

In my panic, I slipped and ended up falling down the stairs. Thankfully I went feet first, and despite the pain in my read end, I found myself on my feet again as soon as I hit the bottom of the stairs. I start my sprint towards the front door. I hear the steps behind me quicken their pace.

I slam my body into the door, unable to fully stop myself before reaching it. I grab the deadbolt and flip it, hearing a loud clunk as it unlocks. My hand grips the handle and turns it, halfway through the turn I hear it's lock click as well.

"Diana!"

I froze in place and turn around.

"Alex," I breathed, slumping my shoulders. My brother stands across from me, just a few feet into the room.  _He_  had been the one chasing me, probably altered by my door slamming into the wall. He held a bat in one hand, his grip tight.

"What's going on?" He asked me.

"I.." Tears well up in my eyes, the realization of just how irrational I had been hit me, "I thought I heard someone in my room. I was scared, so.. I-I ran." My voice begins to crack.

Alex sighed with relief and his grip on the bat loosened. "It's okay."

He turned on the lights and walked towards me as I felt myself begin to cry more. He stepped between the door and me, re-locking both locks. He then turned to me and placed his free hand on my shoulder.

"You're tired," He tells me, "I can tell just looking at you. You haven't slept at all, huh?" I nod. "Your minds just playing tricks on you, that's all. Nothing to be scared of."

"Please.. check my room for me?" I ask him, my voice trembling. He gives me a soft, reassuring smile.

"I can do that."

For a moment, I swear I see a shadowy figure move behind him, behind the glass that surrounds the front door. But before I can react, my brother turns me around and leads me back to my room. I push it away, reminding myself of what my brother just told me.

In my room, my brother checked every place that someone could hide in. He even checked places only a small child could fit. Of course, he found nothing. A mixture of relief and frustration filled me. I'm glad no one was here, but I'm so mad I let something that was nothing get to me like that.

I sat on my bed, staring at my hands. I couldn't believe myself. What I heard was probably just the floor creaking or something like that. A mixture of being so tired and witnesses what I had today just made my mind play tricks on me.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up," Alex tells me. "It's completely normal to be reacting how you are after something like what happened today."

"It is?" I ask him, looking up at him.

"Yeah, completely normal. Most people have this kind of reaction at first," He reassures me, "But next time you think you hear something or think you see something, come straight to me, okay? That way I can calm you down if it's nothing, but I can make sure you safe if there is something."

I nod my head in agreement. I would probably be much safer with my brother than I would be running down the street by myself. Who knows what would've happened had there actually been someone chasing me. What would I have even done once I got outside? Almost everyone is asleep at this hour, so the chances that anyone would even notice I was in danger were slim to none.

"You forgot to shut your window by the way," Alex tells me, "So whatever you thought you heard was probably just some animal outside or something."

My brother already had his back to me, so he didn't notice my eyes snap towards the window.

I never opened it.

I watched, my heart beginning to race again, as my brother grabbed the window and slid it shut. As it slid down its tracks, it made a sound that eerily reminded me of a soft gust of wind.


	4. Back To School

When the sun rose that morning, a sense of relief filled me. God's beautiful daylight brightening up our little town made me feel safe again. The clouds that filled the sky yesterday had left now, leaving clear skies to turn blue as the sun raised higher into the sky. 

Finally feeling safe made me want to crawl back into my bed and sleep- but I knew I couldn't do that. It was a Monday, I had to go to school. I know everyone would understand if I needed a day, but that wouldn't stop the school from moving on without me. Tests would still happen, the classes would still learn new things, and I could fall behind. A lot can happen in a day when you take 7 classes a day. I couldn't risk any kind of hits to my grade, and I definitely did not plan on some monster getting in my way of getting into a good college. 

So, despite my bodies plea's for rest, I pull my hair back and get ready to do my makeup.

Just like every morning, when all is said and done, I admire myself in the mirror for a moment to make sure it's all perfect. And, just like every morning, it was. Ah, foundation- it really is a girl's best friend. Looking at me, you wouldn't have been able to tell I was running on no sleep. I'd definitely need to stop somewhere for some coffee on the way to school though because I was no less exhausted on the inside. 

I grab my school bag, tossing it over my shoulder, then head downstairs to the kitchen. Mother was cleaning up from breakfast, her plate having already been finished. My father was done eating as well, but he sat sipping on his coffee and scrolling through his phone. My brother had barely touched his food, and I couldn't blame him. Looking at what was left made me realize I had no appetite either. It looked so good, but looking at food reminded me of vomiting yesterday. I decided I'd have to pass this morning.

Looking back at my brother again, he barely looked alive. How did I not see this last night? He looked worried, lost in thought. He looked possibly sickly. Maybe I was just so focused on my own fears to realize it, but my brother was likely just as traumatized by the gruesome murder as I was. If not worst. My brother hadn't even gotten dressed yet. I wondered if he'd even be going to school today. He went to a nearby community college. My parents weren't fans that he choose a community college over a really nice school, but my brother tells me all the time that the only difference is the people you go to school with and not how well educated you are. Plus, Alex really liked music, theater, and honestly any creative arts type of study, which I hear our community college has some great classes and programs for. 

"Oh, honey," My mother said, her voice sweet and soft like candy, "You're in uniform. Are you really going to go to school still?"

"..Yeah, I think I should," I responded. "I think I'd feel better still going about my day. Plus, I'd like to see my friends."

"If it's what you want, Diana." My mother walked over to me and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead.

My dad set down his phone for a moment and looked up at me, "If you change your mind for any reason, just give us a call. Your mother and I completely understand if you need a couple days to gather yourself."

"Thanks," I said and smiled, "I should get going now, don't wanna be late."

I slipped past my parents and out the front door, grabbing my keys from their little hanger by the front door on my way out. Despite the skies being much clearer and the day being much brighter, the air still held some weird sense of depression to it. I chalked it up to nothing more than my own mental state and paranoia. Weirdest of all though, I didn't hear any birds. Normally right now they'd be so lively. Just like yesterday, not a single wild animal in sight. I did see someone's cat; the cat was on their owner's porch, scratching at the front door and looking around occasionally. I didn't even hear a dog bark, not once, and I know there's a few in the neighborhood that would be outside right now. That, I couldn't explain. So I choose to just ignore it instead.

 

I hadn't even shut my car off when I saw three girls rushing towards my car. Racheal, Sabrina, and Lillian. Though Racheal went by Ella, and Lillian by Lilly. They were my only friends at this school, other than Lewis of course. I'm positive word of what happened had spread to them early yesterday, and I'm sure they were worried sick about me all of Sunday since I didn't answer any messages. The looks on their faces confirmed that for me, but they also looked very relieved to see me. 

I shut off my car, stuffing the keys into my bag, then stepped out to greet the three of them. I hadn't even got a word out when Lilly wrapped her arms around me- she was always a hugger. I had to admit, I really needed that hug though. My shoulders slumped and I hugged her back softly. She gave me one last squeeze before letting go and grabbing both my arms. Her eyes looked into mine with such a softness to them, I could tell just how much she cared. Lilly was such a good person and a great friend.

"We were so worried about you," Ella said, genuine relief in her voice. There was still hints of that same concern I saw on all there faces.

"I'm so glad to see your okay," Lilly spoke next, her voice just as soft as her gaze. 

"Lewis told us what happened," Sabrina told me, peering over Lilly's shoulder to look at me, "Not everything, but enough to fill in the blanks since the police still haven't released any information. At first, all we knew was that someone got hurt at the Church. And you know how rumors fly around here, there was a million theories about what happened."

It was so nice to hear all their voices. Therapeutic even. It grounded me again, reminded me I was alive and not still at the crime scene. Even if Sabrina's rambling explanation about what they had heard was unneeded, hearing her talk made me feel good. I was safe, I was with my friends. 

"How are you holding up?" Lilly asked me. 

I ponder my answer for a moment, before landing on, "I'm okay. I will be at least. I'm sure the police will catch with whoever hurt Father Manning and the Marshes."

"Speaking of the Marshes," Ella said, "Have you heard any information on Mrs. Marsh?"

"No, I haven't heard anything yet," I respond and look to my feet. The image of Mrs. Marsh covered in blood flashes through my mind. _There was so much blood, can someone even survive that much blood loss? Especially at her age._

 _"_ Hey," Lilly spoke, giving me a small shake, "You're not there anymore. You're safe, here. And Mrs. Marsh is safely in the hospital, no doubt making a speedy recovery."

Lilly talked like she knew what was going on in my head, as if she could see me getting pulled back to that gruesome scene. Lilly seemed to understand trauma and how it affects a person so well, even before she started all those mental health and psychology classes last year. She wanted to a mental health professional, but she wasn't sure what exact field yet. Whatever she picked, she'd be really good at it for sure. 

Silence had fallen over the whole group, everyone was staring at me. I hadn't noticed at first, I was busy staring at Lilly. She always had such a calming effect on me, on everyone really. After some time, I realized they were waiting for me to speak. "Yeah, yeah I know. They uh, they said she was stable when she was being taken to the hospital, so that's a good sign. I'm sure someone will update us before long."

Silence again, for a moment. Distantly we could hear a school bell. No class was starting yet, it was just to warn us that classes would start soon. In fifteen minutes to be exact. 

"We should head to class," Sabrina said. The group, including me, nodded in agreement and started towards the large dull-colored building.

The talk changed from what had happened the day before to some pointless drama, which I was thankful for. I didn't want to talk about it at all, I didn't want to dwell on it any more than I already was. Talking about Alexis's suspected cheating on her boyfriend was normal, was everyday stuff, and was taking me away from the bad memories. And for a moment, after Ella had told some bad pun that shouldn't have made us laugh as much as it did, it all felt normal again. 

I didn't share my first period with any of them, so once we were inside we split ways to go to our respective classes. I didn't have any friends in first actually, so when I reached the room and sense of loneliness washed over me. Those in the room seemed to want to avoid me at the same time, a look of pity on their faces when I walked through the door. Their eyes would never reach mine for more than a moment. If I caught their gaze, they'd look away immediately. This didn't help the feeling of loneliness. I stood near the door, watching my classmates look so uncomfortable. That sense of normality I had only moments ago was completely gone now, and I wanted to cry. 

"Diana," My teacher spoke to me suddenly, "The counselor would like to talk to you, now, before class. Go to her office."

"But, class starts in a minute," I protested. My voice came out softer than I meant it too, it was barely over a whisper. All year, I hadn't even had a tardy, excused or otherwise, for a single class.

"That's alright," She said, and upon seeing my face added, "I won't mark you as tardy. This is a.. particular circumstance, I can make the exception. Now go, you won't miss much here."

"Okay ma'am," I gave a small nod and went out the door I had just come in through. 

The halls were empty now, except for an office helper scrambling further down the hall with nothing but what looks like a note in their hand. I turned the other direction, heading towards the office- all the way back to the front of the school. The walk took a minute, and while I walked the first-period start bell rang loudly through the building. There was no question about what the counselor wanted to take about. I didn't know if I even wanted to talk about it at the moment, I just wanted to get through school. But maybe speaking to her would be helpful for me to get through the day. Either way, I wasn't going to get out of this conversation so I figured I should just get it done with. 

I arrived at the main office, where the front desk lady smiled at me with a look that spoke too many words. I wonder how much she knew, if she knew I saw the body. The look suggested she did, and that made me wonder just how many people knew. Lewis likely doesn't have it any better, he was right by my side. So many people at this school didn't know when to mind their own business, and the only thing that spread quicker than a cheating rumor. He had probably been pestered all day about what had happened. 

"Mrs. Walton is waiting for you," The lady said, motioning towards the door to the counselor's office.

I slowly approached the door, and for some reason, my heart was racing. The door was cracked open, and through the silence, I could hear someone typing within the room. I pushed the door open enough to look inside and knocked lightly on the wood. Mrs. Walton sat inside, glasses slipping down her nose as she stared down at her small laptop. When I tapped the door, she looked over her glasses at me. She's an aged woman, but despite her wrinkles and fading senses, there was still so much youth in her eyes. She was a cheerful lady, and despite the circumstances leading to our meeting, she smiled at me with kindness instead of sadness- unlike everyone else had done so far. 

"Ms. Williams!" She said as she closed her laptop and set aside her glasses, folding them neatly on top of the laptop. She turned in her seat to fully face me. I walked into the room fully, shutting the door behind me, and sat in one of the chairs within her office. "I must say, I'm surprised you came into school today. Why is that?"

I took a deep breath and shrugged. She just continued to stare at me, waiting for a real response. I hadn't come in here often, but whenever I had Mrs. Walton saw right through me. She had a way of breaking down the walls, the ones I always kept up. Walls I kept up even when it was just me. This was the only place I ever was.. not perfect.

"I couldn't.." My voice trembled, making me not want to speak at all. I took another deep breath and toughed through it, "I couldn't not come. I felt like.. it'd be letting whoever did _that_ win. Like.. how they left Father Manning.." Mrs. Walton reached out to grab my hand and squeeze it. No one could even see me in here- _It's safe here_ , I reminded myself.

Was I reminding myself that I wasn't in danger of whoever killed Father Manning, or that I was safe from the constant pressure out there where people judge me? I'm not sure.

"How they left him, it was clearly meant to scare us, to get to us."

"It's okay if it scares you," Mrs. Walton tells me. The soft way she spoke reminded me of Lilly.

"I know," I sigh, "But, I don't want to let that get in my way of school."

"I admire your bravery, Ms. Williams," She told me, "But if you change your mind, you can go home and take a few days. No one could blame you."

"Thank you, Mrs. Walton. I'll let you know if that happens."

She smiled at me again, tilting her head and observing me for a moment. I didn't like how she could get into my head and how easy it was for her to get behind my walls, but at the same time, it was the most relieving thing in the world to know I had a place where I wasn't required to be perfect.

"Still obsessively brushing your hair, I see," She said suddenly, breaking the calm silence that had built up in the room, "You probably feel very out of control at the moment."

"I'm okay, ma'am," I respond, "I promise. I've stuck to the plan we made last year. I'm much better."

Silence, again. And then, "I can see that. Your health has been much better this year. You should be proud, you are one of the most resilient people I've ever meet."

"Thank you," My words come out as a whisper. I didn't like to talk about this.

"Well," Mrs. Walton put her glasses back on and opened her laptop, "I've already talked to all your teachers, you're allowed to excuse yourself at any time if you need to. Feel free to come back here and speak to me at any point if you need to, my doors are always open."

"Thank you," I said, then realized I had just repeated myself. I had nothing else to say though, without another word I got up and left the room.

I walked through the office, keeping my eyes on the ground while I walked. I didn't want to make eye contact with anyone. Walking as quickly as I could, I rushed to the nearest bathroom- thankfully it wasn't far. I checked the stalls, I was alone. Breathing deeply, I counted to from zero to ten, then from ten to zero again. I did this a couple times, until I was fully calm. Once I had collected myself, I walked back to my first-period class.

 

When lunch came, I wanted nothing more than to disappear. I was the talk of the school. Lewis had apparently gone home after second-period- I guess he couldn't take the constant questions anymore. All eyes on me, I knew it wouldn't be much longer until someone tried to pry all the details out of me. I wasn't a dram lover in general, this was crossing a line. My friends stayed by my side, Lilly tried to reassure me. 

I considered going home but decided against it. I couldn't do that, I needed to be here. My mind was rushing, but my face was still. I slowly ate lunch. I felt like I was going to throw the food right back up. I toughed through it. 

"I heard you were the first to see it," A voice suddenly said. I didn't recognize it, and I didn't recognize the face of the person who had just sat in front of me either. The look on his face, it made me angry. No concern, no care- just pure curiosity. "Is it true? That an upside-down cross had been carved into his chest?"

" _What is wrong with you_?" I blurted out without think. 

"It's just a question," The boy snapped back, "If you aren't willing to speak about it then everyone's just gonna believe whatever rumors spread."

I scoff at his words. This isn't just some school drama, a man was dead. "Let's go, girls," I said as I stood up and grabbed my food, "I can't eat around something so disgusting."

Without a word Lilly, Ella, and Sabrina followed me. I tossed the rest of my food in a bin and continued walking out of the lunchroom. I desperately needed fresh air, and there was an area behind the lunch room that we were allowed to sit at during lunch time. No one ever really went out there, unless they were doing something nefarious. There was no camera's pointing back here anymore, someone had made it their mission to break them every time the school replaced them. I didn't care about any of that at the moment, I just wanted to be somewhere where there wasn't a bunch of people. 

I sat down on one of the benches, my back to the trees. Everyone sat around me, looking concerned. 

"I don't want to talk about it," I said before anyone could say anything. 

Everyone was silent for a moment, but it didn't take long from them to return to their normal conversations. I tuned them out completely, instead focusing on staying calm and trying not to think about Father Manning. My phone, which had been in my school bag, buzzed suddenly. I pulled it out and saw it was my brother calling me. I excused myself from the table and closer to the trees before answering.

He wanted to make sure I was getting through the day okay. I assured him I was fine, that I was starting to feel better. Part way through the conversation, I heard the school bell ring. I stared at the building while my brother talked about doing taking me to do something after school, I wasn't really listening. I watched my friends head inside, I called out to Lilly asking her to tell our teacher for next period that I'd be a little late. It wasn't like me to be late at all, but I really needed a moment. 

After another minute, I finally said goodbye to my brother. He rambled too much sometimes. 

I sighed deeply and leaned against one of the trees. It was a nice day out, the sun felt good on my skin. There wasn't any breeze, but it wasn't quiet. The birds- they were finally singing. They were off in the distance, somewhere deep in the trees, but I could still hear them. The sound calmed me instantly. I looked at the school- it's such a dull building. Truth be told, I couldn't wait to get out of her. Soon I'd be off to college, I could leave all of this behind. I thought about restarting my life when I get to college, about being someone completely new. I pushed those thoughts down- I shouldn't think like that. 

I looked away from the school, scanning my surroundings, then looked deeper into the trees. Sun shown through the leaves, lighting up the beautiful sight. The ground was covered in tall grass and bushes. In the distance, I could see an area where some flowers were growing. Their petals were pure white, and when the sunlight hit them they almost seemed to shine. 

Then, the peaceful scene was interrupted. Someone walked through the grass, walking down a thin path that could barely be considered a trail. He was tall, easily over six-foot, and skinny. Despite the warm weather, he wore a coat with the hood up. He wore black jeans, they looked they should've been replaced a long time ago. They looked like they hadn't been cleaned in ages, and there was a large tear down the front of one of the legs. He had attempted to stitch the hole closed with red sewing thread, he didn't do a very good job though. Despite the state of his jeans, his hoodie was remarkably cleaned. In fact, he must of either just gotten that coat or he recently bleached it because it didn't have a single stain. 

He walked closer to me, stopping only a few feet away. I figured he had come here to sell something to someone. It wasn't my business at the end of the day.

"Uh, hey, if you're waiting for some, it ain't me," I said, "Lunch is over, so they might not be coming."

Why was I saying anything to this guy? I should just walk away and go inside. 

The man suddenly laughed. I had to admit, he had a nice laugh. If it hadn't been a weird moment to laugh, I probably would have loved to hear the sound. 

"Oh Diana," he said to me, "Why would I be here for anyone but you?"

The fear that washed over me, it was unlike anything I had ever experienced. Not even the moment I saw Father Manning could compare to this very moment. I slowly backed away from the stranger. My chest began to hurt from how hard my heart was beating. The man looked up, but I couldn't make out any features of his face- black hair kept every detail hidden. All I could tell was that he was pale, very pale. 

He took one step towards me, and without missing a beat I spun on my heel and ran into the school. The doors slam shut behind me, and I turned back around to look through the glass. In the trees... I saw no one. 


	5. You're afraid, Doctor.

I hate the way the woman nods and hummed at my words. It was obvious what she doing- checking my story. She had already heard all of this before without a doubt. Probably help the pop make sure I'm telling the truth. Jokes on them, even if I was lying, I had practiced very hard on remembering to always keep my story straight. I wasn't lying though. 

The woman clicks the pen closed and looks up at me. She watches me carefully, watching closely with a soft, caring look on her face. It reminded of Lilly's face, and how calm she could be in even the most stressful situations, except Lilly didn't have to force it like this woman so clearly was.

“With what you've told me so far, I can only imagine how scared you must have been,” The woman tells me. She raises her chin and sits back in her chair, “And yet, you don't seem phased by recounting all of this. Why is that?”

“What are you accusing me of, ma'am?”

“I'm not accusing you of anything,” She leans forward, placing her elbows down on the table separating us, “I'm simply trying to understand how you are feeling at the moment.”

“I'm feeling trapped,” I blurt out.

“Trapped? What do you mean by that?”

“Exactly what I said.”

“I need you to elaborate. Are you, perhaps, feeling trapped by a need to pretend you aren't scared for some reason?”

“No,” I groan loudly, “I mean trapped. As in physically

Inside this building. And these stupid restraints!” I tug on the handcuffs I had been placed in earlier. “I miss the trees and the fresh air! I want to be able to go places again!”

“Please calm down, Diana,” The woman says, “Right now you need to stay inside, for your safety.” 

“That's a lie,” I respond, meeting the woman's eyes now. Her face was calm, her tone was even, but that look in her eyes said more to me than she likely realized. Fear danced in those blue irises, and the way her eyes quickly darted to her paper only confirmed this to me. 

She hesitates for a moment, gripping her pen tighter and clicking it open, “What makes you say that, Diana?”

“A lot of things, ma'am,” I tell her, “I think it's about your safety, not mine.”

Conveniently, an alarm goes off from a small timer that had been set on the table.

“We're out of time,” She says, “We'll pick this up tomorrow.”


	6. Back to Church

I never told anyone about the man in the woods behind the school, and when a week went by without incident I started to question if I had hallucinated it. Mrs. Marsh’s daughter took some time off of work to take care of her mother, and she was the one to update us all on her condition. She was stable, but she had slipped into a coma. The doctors were hopeful that she’d wake up, in her condition she should be able to, but they said they couldn’t really tell for sure. Mrs. Marsh was confirmed to be the only survivor. Alex, a kind man in his thirties, had also been found inside. I only found this out about two weeks after the Sunday it had happened, when the police finally released an official statement. 

The police report didn’t honestly say much. They left out the gory details, obviously. All they were really willing to say about what happened, other than the confirmed victims, was that they were following all possible leads and that we were advised to stay cautious. It sucked not being able to know more, I hated feeling unsafe when I left the house. I hated how scared I got every time I walked into a church now, but I forced myself through it because I knew that was likely exact reaction the killer wanted from us. 

The churches in the area all welcomed the members of my church with open arms, telling us their doors were open to us and we are welcomed to stay with them as long as we would like. Most of us choose a church a couple of towns over that was closely tied to our own. It was worth the drive to be somewhere that felt like our old church. The closer ones were like our own, and we were all friendly to each other, but they believed different things from us- just different enough to make most of us decide they weren’t the churches for us. 

No one wanted to go back to the old church. It’s holy grounds felt tainted, made us all feel unsafe. It was started to look like this church was going to become our new preeminent stay, and everyone there seemed happy that we felt so safe in those walls. 

As I said, none of us had any desire to go back to our old church. Except me, apparently. The more time passed without anything happening, the more my fear turned to curiosity. For some reason those old church’s doors called to me, begging me to open them. I felt God wanted me to see something, something I could only see inside the church. And so I did something I had never done before, I snuck out. 

I wasn’t proud of myself for doing it. I hated to break my parents' rules, or any rule really. I think if they knew how the building was calling to me they’d understand. My god needed me there, he commanded me there. So, about two months after the murders, I gave in to the calling. Who was I to refuse my god?

It was a Friday night, long after everyone had gone to bed, when I snuck out the back door. By now most of the town had settled down about the events, I’m guessing since nothing happened and the police had been rather quiet about the whole thing after their statement. With the town’s paranoia lessening, heading out at night without being seen would be a lot easier. I decided against taking my car, even though walking would take a while. I figured taking my car could make my absence too apparent. It was nice out tonight so maybe the walk would be nice. I carried my phone just in case. 

When I reached the road that would lead straight to the old church, I felt like I was being watched. Homes on this road were few and far between, most of the surrounding land was heavily wooded. Travel far enough down this road and you start to hit factory and farmland, but even by car that would take about an hour. I wasn’t surprised I felt scared once I hit the road, for all I knew someone was hidden in those trees and following me. The sound of crickets was reassuring, however. 

My legs ached a bit when I finally reached the building. I had never felt such darkness around this building. It may have just been my nerves. I hadn’t been inside since.. since I found Father Manning inside. But despite the taut air, I knew I still needed to be here- so I pushed myself forward. 

I walked up to the front door and pressed my hand against it. It felt cold. I traced a line in the wood with my finger, reminiscing for a moment. I spent so much of my life here, every Sunday. I never missed a day. I did a youth group here for a long time too. 

“Ouch!” I hissed, pulling my finger away from the door. Looking at my finger in the limited light, I could see the large splinter sticking out of my skin.  _ Should’ve expected that, _  I thought to myself,  _ That was stupid of me. _

I tried for a moment to get the splinter out, but I couldn’t get a good grip on it. I groan and hang my head in defeat for a moment, deciding I’d just deal with it once I’m home. 

The wood door suddenly creaks open slowly, revealing a dark interior. My breath caught in my throat, I froze where I stood. Wasn’t that fully shut a moment ago? Shouldn’t it be locked? 

I swallowed the lump in my throat and again, pushed forward. I wasn’t thinking much, to be honest, I just trusted my feet and they guided me to the main room where services were held, where I had found Father Manning. It was hard to see inside, but just enough light came in from the night sky for me to make out the shapes of objects, and thus not trip on anything as I walked. 

I walked all the way up to the front, standing in front of where Father Manning had been pinned. They must’ve had professionals clean up the mess, there wasn’t a sign of what had happened. Maybe there was something that I just couldn’t see in the dark, I didn’t want to check. 

“What are you doing here?”

The voice was low, deep. It sounded familiar, but I had no clue where from. For a moment I thought the police must’ve seen me come inside or something, and now I was going to be in a lot of trouble. I turned around to look at the person who spoke, I could just barely make out the shape of a tall man at the other end of the room. 

“I-I’m sorry, sir,” I quickly apologize. Maybe if I give an explanation, I won’t get in so much trouble, “I used to go to Church here... Before... You know. I.. don’t know what I was thinking, I’m sorry.”

“I know,” He says, and begins to move towards me. The closer he gets, the more features I start to make out. He’s skinny, easily over six foot, dirty black jeans… white hoodie, but it wasn’t so clean this time. Red splattered across it. 

My mind screamed at me to run, run far away. But I couldn’t move. I had no clear escape, he was blocking my path to the exit. I wouldn’t be likely to make it out, I’d have to play a little safer than that. 

I had chalked this man up to a hallucination of my tired mind until now. I hadn’t seen him since that day at the school,  not even the slightest sign of him or anyone watching me. But he was real, he was there in front of me. Flesh and blood, and covered in blood. I tried not to cry. / _ I’m gonna die _ ./

“I’m just surprised you came here,” He spoke softly, sending a shiver down my spine, “You’re a smart girl, smarter than to come back to the scene of a crime without good reason. So, I’m curious, what are you doing here?”

Why did I come here? How could I have been so stupid? I felt called here, I felt there had to be a reason, but at the same time, I felt stupid for coming here- what the absolute fuck was I doing here?

“Answer me!” The man shouted suddenly, making me jump. My heart began to race faster and faster. I wanted so badly to disappear into my own body, I hugged myself and whimpered. The man chuckled, seemingly amused by my fear. He spoke again, calmly this time, “I don’t want to hurt you, Diana. Well, actually, I do want to, really really bad… but I won’t, as long as you do as I say.”

I had no reason to trust him, but it was my only chance of getting out alive. So I answered honestly. “I had an urge to come here, l-like I had been called here.”

My voice was shaky and came out as a whisper. The man stepped even closer, his steps never made a sound. I wondered for a moment how he was so quiet on his feet, but how close he was getting to me quickly took my attention away from that thought. 

“What called you here, then?” He asked me.

“God did,” I told him, my voice more confident this time. I reminded myself to trust His plan, if God wanted me here it was for a reason.  _ I don’t have to understand the plan to trust it _ , I told myself.

The man was silent for a moment, I could feel his eyes on me but I couldn’t see them. Then suddenly, he broke out in laughter. It was loud and uncontrolled. He leaned far back, holding his hands to his chest as his whole body shook with laughter. He wasn’t too far from me at this point, but not within arms reach. As his laughter began to lessen, he leaned forward again and slightly down to bring himself eye-level with me. Through his long black hair I could just barely make out his face- his eyes were icy blue, they stared straight at me like he could see my soul, his face was straight white like paper and rough-looking liked the aged skin of an old man (minus the wrinkles), and along both his cheeks were long slices that moved up towards his ears forming a morbid smile. 

“Oh Diana, the god you try to follow isn’t here,” He said with a chuckle, “It’s just me.”

All I could think about is how I was going to die. I was definitely going to die here. I pray and pray that I could get out alive, but suddenly I felt so hopeless. My life was completely in the hands of this man, and he was going to kill me. Tears began to well up in my eyes, but I dare not cry aloud. 

The man watched me closely, and I stared in his eyes. I watched as the look in those ice blue irises changed slowly as he seemed to calm down again.

“Are you okay, by the way?” He asked suddenly, catching me off guard. Of course, I wasn’t okay, and the question made me want to scream at him. This man clearly wasn’t right in the head. “I heard you outside, sounded like you got hurt.”

_ What is wrong with him?! He just said he wanted to hurt me! _ My mind was rushing a mile a minute. I was starting to get angry. I wanted so badly to yell at this man, to scream. But I knew I wouldn’t have any chance to get out alive if I did that.

“I hurt my hand,” I told him while trying not to let any a sob, “on the front door. Just a splinter, that’s all.”

He stepped closer again, close enough to touch me. I lowered my head, too scared to look up at him. I didn’t want to make him mad, and who knew what would do that. I tried to steady my breath.

“Let me see your hand,” He says.

As much as I didn’t want to, I knew refusing him would be dangerous. I slowly held out my hand, sticking out the finger with a splinter in it. My hand shook wildly, I couldn’t stop it. But as soon as his hand wrapped around my wrist, I froze solid again. 

“That a big one,” He comments, “I hate splinters so much. Even with my pain tolerance, those still hurt like a bitch somehow.” He chuckles softly. He spoke so casually now, like he was just a person I knew somewhat and not like a murderer who’s covered in blood. This only made me more scared. 

He pinched the piece of wood that was sticking out of my skin, holding it for just a moment, before he ripped it out of my finger. I hissed, holding back a scream from the pain. I don’t think it hurt as much as my mind made me think it did at the time, I think I was just so scared my brain convinced me it hurt so bad. But just as quickly as the pain came, it disappeared. I actually felt relieved with the pressure from the piece of wood no longer there. 

“Better?” He asked. I nodded my head quickly. He released my hand and I quickly brought it back to my side. He watched me for a moment, probably thinking about something. I didn’t want to know what he might be thinking about. 

He grabbed my chin gently, lifting my head and making me look at him. I looked into his eyes, daring not look away. Even without words, it was a clear command to look at him, and so I did as he wanted. I don’t know how to describe the look on his face. Happy is the best way I could put it. I could tell he was debating something internally, but I dared not ask. 

“You know,” He tells me as he tilts my head to the side, almost as if to examine me, “I wasn’t planning on taking you away for a while. I really like just watching you go about your day, I was planning on messing with you more once the time was right. But here you are, right in front of me.  _ You _  came to  _ me _ , directly to _me_.”

I couldn’t stop myself from sobbing now. I cried aloud and closed my eyes, letting my tears run down my cheeks. The man cupped my face and rubbed my cheek softly with his thumb, as if he wanted to be comforting. It only scared me more. 

“You said you were called here.  _ You were called to me," _  He laughs for a moment, then sighs. “Can you believe that?”

There wasn’t a doubt in my mind now, I was going to die. He let go of my face and stepped back, clearly thinking to himself again. I did the only thing I could think to do, pray. I prayed softly to myself, lowering my head and keeping my eyes closed. It was comforting to me, to pray. If I die now, I’ll meet God. I hope I was good, I hope I’m worthy. I don’t know why he called me here, but I needed to trust him.

“What are you doing?” The man growled, but I kept praying. I wasn’t getting out of this no matter what, that was clear. At least this way I felt God with me. 

Then, I felt the back on his hand collide with my cheek. He was a lot stronger than his skinny appearance lead me to believe. He hit me hard enough to knock me off my feet, and I didn’t try to get back up. Instead, I sat there, clutching my cheek with one hand.

“I want you to get something through that pretty little head of yours,” He growled. He kneeled onto the ground and grabbed my coat, pulling me towards him. He looked so mad, he looked ready to kill me. “ **_I am your god now._ ** ”

He stared at me, his chest moving rapidly from breathing heavy. I stared back, waiting for him to end me. 

“If you are going to pray to anyone, it will be me. Understand? Now say it, say I’m your god.”

“Never,” I growled back. He wouldn’t make me waver, I would never let him make me say it. I couldn’t. If it got me killed, then so be it. 

He didn’t kill me, but he did strike me again. This time with a closed fist he hit my eye. If he didn’t have a grip on my shirt, I probably would have fallen back and hit the hard floor with my head. The hit made me feel dizzy and my head was suddenly too heavy for me to hold up so I let it hang back. I gazed up at the ceiling- my vision was blurry, it almost looked like the room was spinning around me and it definitely felt that way. 

The man lets out a low growl, then mumbled, “Now what am I going to do with you?” He grabbed me by my hair now, forcing my head up to look at him. “I can’t let you go home now, you’ll identify me and lead those damn agents right to me. That would just be a whole crazy mess that I don’t want to deal with. But I’m not allowed to take you until the task is complete and I definitely don’t want to anger the boss.”

“P-please,” I whimper, “I won’t say anything to anyone, just let me go home.” It was becoming clear to me that he had no intention of just killing me. I don’t want to know what he plans on doing with me if he takes me with him. If I can get home then just maybe I can figure a way out of this. 

He watched me for a moment, debating my request. “I know where you live, where all your friends live. If you speak a word to /anyone/, I kill them all. Slowly and painfully. Do you understand that?”

I nod my head and whimper softly. 

With a smirk, he leaned in closer. “Tell me you’ll be a good girl. I want to hear you say it.”

My voice was shaky voice, and my vision starting to go dark. I gave him exactly what he wanted; “I’ll be good, I promise.”

He seemed satisfied with this answer. “Let’s get you home,” He said softly as he picked me up. Resting in his arms, my body gave in to the pain and tired feeling. I felt myself slump and then I was asleep. 


	7. Recover

I woke up slowly at first, becoming aware of my surroundings bit by bit. First thing I noticed was something cold on my face covering one of my eyes. Then I realized I was laying on something very soft and warm. I listened and heard the sound of birds chirping somewhere far away.

Then my memories hit me like a truck, causing me to finish waking up quickly and filled me with panic. I sprung upright, making the cold thing fly off my face and hit my feet. My head pounded the moment I sat up, but I pushed the pain aside so I could gather my surroundings. I was relieved to find out I was in my room, and that there was no sign of that man. My window was open, letting sunlight wash into my room.

I looked to the thing I had on my face a moment ago and found a blue ice pack. I picked it up and noticed it was partly melted, so it had probably been a while since it was placed on my face. I set it aside on my bed stand, noticing a glass of water sitting there when I did. I picked up the glass and examined it for a moment, then set it down, deciding against drinking it. That man brought me back here, he got me that glass of water. Who knows what he did to it?

I slowly bring myself to my feet, fighting through the pain and dizziness. I made my way to my window first, which I shut fully and closed the curtains. The curtains didn’t do much to keep the sunlight out, but it at least the light was a little less irritating. I placed my head softly against the wall and closed my eyes. My head was pounding so hard at this point that the pressure on my skull was near unbearable; I wondered just how hard that man had hit me. He’s  _ a lot _ stronger than he looked. 

I took a deep breath and continued to fight through the pain. Keeping one hand on the wall, I walked slowly to my bathroom. Once inside, I locked the door behind me and walked to the large sink. Holding myself up with one hand, which rested on the edge of the counter, I turned on the sink and drank the cold water from my free hand. Once I was satisfied with that, I quickly washed my face with just the water, then dried my face with a nearby hand towel. It was only when I dried around my left eye that I realized just how bad it hurt. I finally looked at myself in the mirror.

I had to hold in a scream. I felt it in my throat begging to be released. I whimpered into my hand instead. My once soft pale skin was stained, ruined, by this nasty bruise. The mark was mostly below my eye, and it was dark. Mostly black, lightening into purple around the edges, then surrounded by an orange-brown color. It was swollen still. This must’ve been why he put an ice pack on my face. But why would he bother? I didn’t know, I don’t think it’s worth trying to figure out. That man probably did a lot of things for no real reason, or for reasons I’d never be able to wrap my mind around. At this moment, the reason doesn’t matter much- I just needed to fix this. 

For a moment, I thought of how stupid I was being. This bruise? It wasn’t nearly as important as my safety. I needed to tell someone, I needed to figure out what to do. I  _ have _ to tell someone. That monster needs to be caught, and he’s going to kill me and my family. I need to tell the police- I need to get somewhere safe. 

_ But I can’t be seen like this _ .

I couldn’t stand to be seen in such a disgusting state. My mind was torn between reason and appearances. I didn’t know what to do. I slumped to the ground and prayed. I needed someone to tell me what to do. Despite my praying, I felt no clarity. Not knowing what else to do, I figured I should wait and think. I slowly got back onto my feet, and just as I went to take a step towards the door I heard something hit the ground. It wasn’t loud, if it wasn’t for the complete silence I wouldn’t have heard it. I looked down and found a piece of folded paper on the ground by my feet. It must’ve fallen from my pocket. 

I picked it up and unfolded it without thinking twice. It was dirty and somehow smelled like rot. The paper itself wasn’t anything special, it looked like it had been ripped from a pocket notebook and it had yellowed slightly. I read the note slowly, though the words didn’t process at first. 

 

“ **Youre a smart girl, dont do something stupid** .”

 

The ink was fading in spots, and whoever wrote it used a lot of pressures, nearly tearing the paper in parts. I felt the knots in my gut tightening, but I knew the answer to my question now. I can't tell anyone. Would they even believe a thing I had to say if I did try to go to the cops? Some monster-like man beat me up then dropped me safely off at home with an ice pack... I would sound crazy. No, I need to just.. I didn’t really know, but I knew I needed to stay quiet for now. I stared at the note- not reading it, just examining it. It made my stomach twist in a way that felt identical to nausea, but at the same time the longer I looked at it the surer this gut feeling of not telling anyone being the best idea got.

I’m not sure how long I stared at the note, but eventually, I folded it back up and placed it next to the sink. I needed to take a long hot shower and clean myself up, make myself presentable again. 

Shower, clothes, makeup, hair. I decided against anything special, I just needed to look presentable. Normal. Like nothing bad had happened. The swelling in my eye was gone, the makeup perfectly covered the bruise. I checked my phone once I was finally looking, and feeling better. I hadn’t realized how late it was, but what I noticed first wasn’t actually the time- it was all the missed messages from Lily. I let out a groan and shook my head. I was supposed to be working on a class project with Lily and another girl today, and they had been waiting for me since noon. 

I texted Lily back, offering an excuse of having overslept, and let her know I’d be on my way soon. I then proceeded to quickly gather up my things for the project (the book for the class, some of the research I had already done, and my laptop) and stuffed them into one of my bags before rushing downstairs. While grabbing myself a quick snack and rushing to my car, I noticed no one else appeared to be home. I didn’t think anything of it, but right as I reached the door a wave of fear washed over me. I don’t know why. I know my family would all just be out doing normal things. My brother is probably with friends, and my parents may have just gone on a date or maybe needed to run some errands. No, not knowing where they were wasn’t the problem; it was that I was home alone, but for some reason, it felt like someone was watching me. 

My mind ran back to last night, to the crazy things that man had said. He had been watching me, but for how long? If he had gone this long without me noticing him, then he could be watching me right now and I would have no way of knowing. I swallowed the lump in my throat and straightened my back. My heart was racing, but something inside me had been begging me not to be swallowed by the fear. It’s like I just knew that if I let that happen, I’d break. He wanted me to break. 

Setting my things by the door, I walked around the house and quickly checked the locks to all the doors and windows. I even ran upstairs and checked the windows up there, even heading into both my parents and brothers room just to be safe. It made me feel a little better. At least now he couldn’t get in so easily while the house was empty. I picked my things back up and out of the house I went, locking the door behind me. Despite Lily not living far from me, I knew there was no way I’d be walking. 


End file.
